One-by-one, students at Dallastown Area Intermediate School took turns shoveling dirt around a newly planted “Moon Tree” that is intended to inspire reaching for the stars .
Seeds of a variety of trees, including the sweetgum planted at the intermediate school, flew around the moon as part of NASA’s Artemis I program in 2022, according to the space agency’s website.
Schools and community organizations were invited to apply for a seedling grown from the seeds. Teacher Janis Mars, who follows NASA, submitted the application in August 2023. Her students studied the Artemis mission, watching its launch and return.
When the “Moon Tree” arrived on Thursday, some of the leaves fell off as it was unboxed. The students gasped, and Mars reassured them that it was OK. The pupils asked if they could have a leaf, and “you saw them walking out to the bus like they had gold in their hand,” she said.
The school district held a tree planting and dedication on the grounds of the intermediate school on Friday morning. The “Moon Tree,” which is expected to grow 50-feet to 150-feet tall, will be visible to passersby on the Susquehanna Trail.